National Culinary Review

From Farm to

Bar

Mixologists liven up cocktails with freshly grown products.

By Kathryn Kjarsgaard

Chefs increasingly scour farmers markets and local purveyors for fresh ingredients, and mixologists are now following their lead. With cocktails featuring fresh fruit, vegetables, herbs and flowers, the farmers market is making its way from the kitchen to the bar. Some mixologists even tend private gardens to cultivate specialty items.

Nacional 27 has a custom plot on the farm and uses produce and herbs, such as cucumbers, fennel, watermelon, tomatoes, jalapeños and sweet peppers, in a variety of creative, seasonal cocktails.

“This is less of a trend and more of a way of life,” says Jennifer Pittman, head bartender at Proof on Main in Louisville, Ky. “Supporting local farmers or creating your own garden is becoming a way of life. People don’t want artificial, stale, empty experiences. They want unique, personal experiences.

Eric Steiner, mixologist at Mez in Charlotte, N.C., agrees that changes to customer preferences are behind this new movement in cocktails. “Customers are really going right for the freshest, most creative drinks on the menu,” he says. “I think this trend will continue as more and more people develop their palate when it comes to cocktails. I’ve found that using fresh produce adds a different flavor dimension that you don’t get with a bottled juice or mixer.”

“If we can use our produce or use local, then we do,” she adds. “It’s been a philosophy of executive chef Michael Paley’s since the beginning that I have adopted and am applying to our cocktail program.”

Produce driving the cocktail menu Adam Seger, manager/sommelier/ mixologist for Nacional 27 in Chicago, launched the restaurant’s Farm to Bar program this year. He obtains fresh produce from the all-organic Harvest Moon Farms in Viroqua, Wis. “The program is bringing the farm’s artisan produce and herbs to the world of mixology,” says Seger.

In fact, this past summer Seger developed a monthly cocktail offering around the freshest produce supplied by the farm. The Summer Breeze featured cucumbers (Indian, True Lemon and organic slicer) paired with Navan, a natural vanilla liqueur. The Gazpacho & Tonic featured fennel, Charantais melon and orangeglo and “Jenny” seedless watermelon with gin.

The Heirloom Tomato Mojitonico used tomatoes (mountain fresh, speckled Roman, pineapple and green zebra) paired with gin, with a salt-and-pepper rim. The Strawberry/Rhubarb/ Basil/Balsamic Mojito featured fresh strawberries with 10 Cane rum.